Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 12:13 pm Post subject: How much would you spend/t in to secure a new contract?

Hello everyone,

Well I am going through what might be called a painful/costly ‘life lesson’ right now. My contract is concluding at the end of the year and I have been seeking new employment for about two months in a particular country. After a couple of positive interviews that unfortunately still never ‘took off.’ I finally had a school show serious interest in my profile and ask me to come in a visit for a few days. It was basically made clear to me that if I felt comfortable the job was mine.

When I arrived I was told that they were also looking at another candidate after my visit, which though from an employers stance might seem practical but was also dishonest. I had a sense my entire visit that they had already selected their employee. Long story short. I felt comfortable, took the time off work and all costs added together spent about 1000 dollars and they still awarded the contract to someone else.

Has anyone else gone through a similar experience? I am pretty upset, if not also a little stupid.

Where was this? In Russia? The Near Abroad? This type of sharp business practice is par for the course here - which is why I would not spend a penny on any prospective employer, especially if based on what amount merely to assumptions on my part. Trust, here, is punished rapidly.

Sorry for your financial loss. Sadly, this is not unusual in these parts.

My post has little relevance to your plight, sohniye, so, firstly my condolences and good luck with the next one. I read your thread on the Russian forum and it seems them Ruskies are giving you a hard time - perhaps worth a change in country, or was your trip in fact to a different country?

What I posted to say was nothing more than an interesting aside. In Vietnam it is common for locals to pay to secure a good job. In fact this pay could total as much as a year's salary! Presumably, the idea is to work yourself into a position where you'll be asking someone else to pay to work there!